Subj : Re: Making a boot floppy
To   : comp.os.linux
From : David Kinsell
Date : Sun Nov 21 2004 02:46 pm


"Mike Fontenot" <mlfasf@comcast.net> wrote in message news:419941CD.58BE0068@comcast.net...
>
> I tried to make a boot floppy using the command
>
>   dd if=/boot/vmlinuz-2.2.19pre17 of=/dev/fd0
>
> (where the in_file name is the name of my kernel,
> which boots fine from hard disk (using LILO)).
>
> That command apeared to work fine, and reported
> "1956+1 records in" (and the same for "records out").
>
> But when I try to boot from that floppy, it gives
> the usual message (something indicating that it is
> transfering data from the floppy into memory) followed
> by about 3 rows of dots, then it goes into an infinite
> loop, repeatedly writing 5 short lines of text to the
> monitor.  To stop it, I have to power-down, which
> fortunately doesn't seem to cause any problem with
> a subsequent boot from hard disk of the same kernel.
> The size of the kernel is 1,001,473 bytes, which
> I think should fit on my floppy (about 1.4 Mbyte).
>
> When I tried the same thing with an earlier kernel
> (vmlinuz-2.0.32, with 446,281 bytes), the dd command
> reported 871+1 records in and out, and I was able
> to boot just fine from that floppy.
>
> Anyone know what's wrong?
>
> Mike Fontenot

The size of the floppy isn't the limiting factor, for 2.4 kernels
there's a limit of 1048560 bytes.  Could be different for
2.2 kernels.  The kernel you're trying to use is quite big for
a useable boot floppy.

Are you doing all the other stuff needed to make a boot disk?
Like using rdev, and adding a root file system?  See
http://www.linux.com/howtos/Bootdisk-HOWTO/x703.shtml#TRANSFERRINGWITHOUTLILO

-Dave

.